Malky79 Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 Agree or disagree with his decisions it a fairly clear rationale for how we set up. I do agree whilst generally outplayed and not at our best we for most part didn't look in any real danger of being cut open until later on as we chased the game and with a bit of luck would have been at worst level at half time. I not overly impressed by Hately in midfield in general, Forbes by and large looks poor though to be fair to him thought was not to bad in that 2-0 win so I can forgive him for making that on the surface strange call with Hammell. Maybe Saunders could have played right back to allow Hately to join the midfield but he been erratic there to my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StipeIsGod Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 McCall's justifications for the odd decisions seem pretty sound. There are a few things I can disagree with, but I can still see why he made the choices he did. Also, I thoroughly enjoy getting these emails. Agree that they would be better served being monthly, but really appreciate that McCall takes the time out to send these updates. As has been mentioned earlier in the thread, they do improve communications, which has been a big complaint in the past. Even more impressive is the fact that he takes the time to reply to responses. I sent one after the Jeffers signing, pretty much questioning how he saw that Jeffers would fit into the squad, and got a lengthy email back, detailing some potential uses, but also highlighting that he would struggle to be a 90 minute, two game a week type, etc. It's not much, but it's a nice touch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelboy Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 I not overly impressed by Hately in midfield in general, hateley holiding in a midfield 3 is an entirely different player to playing in a duo. his performances at hampden in the cis and in the final game before the split at tynecastle were immense, he should have been playing that role on saturday. the comment about commons is also a strange one. every celtic fan online seemed fairly certain mulgrew would be on the left and commons the right. gunnings at full back was just the wrong choice, the guy switches off far too often. you look at the games at killie, at tannadice in the league and cup, at ibrox and at home to rangers. he cost us a lot of goals just through day dreaming defending. as everyone has said we didn't use the ball at all well and the game passed murphy by. that is clearly connected to hammell moving from full back to midfield, when he is playing at lb he is generally the guy who brings the ball out and starts attacks. gunning is decent at bombing on but hasn't shown that he is much cop at building play. we actually played 8 different defensive combos in our final 8 matches which is unbelievable. when we have had defensive success it has been due to consistency in selection and there was zero of during the run in (we have also missed reynolds massively but that's maybe for another day) SS SHU SC MR - hearts a TH SHU SC SHM - semi SS SHU SC GG - hearts a MR SC GG SH - rangers h TH SHU GG MR - united a SS SHU SC SHM - killie h SS SHU GG SHM - celtic a TH SHU SC GG - final mccall made an arse of the big game, he's not the first manager to do so. big tel did it the last time we got to a final, tommy mclean put a half fit o'neill on the bench which could easily have backfired, at the fa cup final the other week stoke paid for playing an unfit etherington. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweed Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 The fact we were beaten by two cracking hits and a fluke tells me he got the defence right. Problem was the midfield and forwards. Its easy to say that Hammell was a square peg in a round hole and it didn't work however he has played there before and it was effective. Should he have played Forbes or Hateley there? Maybe. However for us to win that game we needed every one of our eleven to be at it and sadly Hammell, Jennings and Lasley's ball retention was really poor. By that happening it meant that we were under too much pressure at the back. Celtic doubled up effectively on Humprhey and Murphy when they had to and kept them quiet and by doing that nullified us as we had no central way through them. Jennings and Lasley we had no choice but to play - they are by far our best two midfielders but to be honest I don't think Jennings has had a good game since we beat Celtic in February. And given those two were off their best we were always losing irrespective of what McCall did. I would have played Forbes in there and tried for exactly the same plan from when we beat them but McCall's rationale was sound. On Saturday I thought he got it wrong - having watched it back I think his two best midfielders didn't perform and the same would have happened. And thats not meant to be a dig at Lasley and Jennings. They have just both appeared to run out of steam in the last few weeks and I think they have both been sub 100% fit and the pressing game we play dictates that that isn't fit enough. Better players than them have had off days and each and every one of us will have learnt from that game - a hell of a lot more than Celtic did - and we must take it on and continue to improve. McCall maybe not 100% right but close enough that I think it was the players that didn't perform to their best rather than the boss. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 The fact we were beaten by two cracking hits and a fluke tells me he got the defence right. Don't quite know what to make of your post Tweed. An interesting and thought provoking mixture. Celtic's first goal was entirely preventable in my book and in some ways similar to Maurice Edu's goal against us at Hampden a month or two back. Yes, it was well taken but he had all the time in the world to pick his spot. Throughout the game we defended far too deeply and Lasley, Hammell and Jennings left our defence exposed. When Ki was about to line up his shot everyone seemed to back off and Randolph was left exposed. What we sadly lacked was a hard midfielder in the Colin O'Neil / Stewart MacLaren mould who was prepared to stick his chin out and advance to meet attackers head on. When SM is considering his defence for next season I hope he identifies a need for a hard man who will take on allcomers well outside his own box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelmaninOZ Posted May 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2011 I hope he continues these Stuart McCall directs next season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dosser1886 Posted May 24, 2011 Report Share Posted May 24, 2011 Absolutely - refreshing change to have a manger who is willing to engage with the fans and put across his reasoning, feelings and point of view. You can agree or disagree with what he has to say but I don't know many 'if any' other clubs managers who do this and I for one applaud and respect him for doing so. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al B Posted May 24, 2011 Report Share Posted May 24, 2011 Don't quite know what to make of your post Tweed. An interesting and thought provoking mixture. Celtic's first goal was entirely preventable in my book and in some ways similar to Maurice Edu's goal against us at Hampden a month or two back. Yes, it was well taken but he had all the time in the world to pick his spot. Throughout the game we defended far too deeply and Lasley, Hammell and Jennings left our defence exposed. When Ki was about to line up his shot everyone seemed to back off and Randolph was left exposed. What we sadly lacked was a hard midfielder in the Colin O'Neil / Stewart MacLaren mould who was prepared to stick his chin out and advance to meet attackers head on. When SM is considering his defence for next season I hope he identifies a need for a hard man who will take on allcomers well outside his own box. I can't remember where I read it, but Jennings touched on his thoughts for the Ki goal, and to be honest as much as he could have done things differently, you can't really argue with him. He basically held his hands up and said yeah, now that the shot went in he wishes in hindsight that he had closed Ki down quicker, but generally you'd be quite happy to let a player hit it from there, as 9 times out of 10 a shot from that distance on their weaker foot goes into the stand. That's fair enough for me to be honest. A big part of your tactics against a much better side has to be to try and keep guys on their wrong foot, and restrict them to shots from distance. Do that and you'll generally cope ok....It just so happened that on this occasion Ki hit the ping of his life with his weak foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numpty Posted May 24, 2011 Report Share Posted May 24, 2011 He basically held his hands up and said yeah, now that the shot went in he wishes in hindsight that he had closed Ki down quicker, but generally you'd be quite happy to let a player hit it from there, as 9 times out of 10 a shot from that distance on their weaker foot goes into the stand. Afraid he didn't do enough homework on Ki, then... he's scored at least a couple of decent efforts with that foot from the edge of the box and beyond this season. Maybe none quite as impressive as the one he rattled in on Saturday, but definitely good enough that you wouldn't want to be giving him the option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haggischomper Posted May 24, 2011 Report Share Posted May 24, 2011 Yep, 9 times out of 10 we'd be fine there. Harshly, this was the other time - you'd always play those odds though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweed Posted May 24, 2011 Report Share Posted May 24, 2011 All very well saying Ki has hit a couple of other ones but you can't cover evrything and had Jennings shut him he may have played a telling ball elsewhere. Letting Edu have a crack was the right decision 19 times out of 20, letting Ki have a crack the same. Lady luck shone on both the Old Firm in these games with their shooting. Likewise they were right to let Gunning shoot and block the wee ball he could have played through the defenders or to the wing. They got lucky that he missed. Just. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brazilian Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 Good evening ‘Well fans – I hope you are enjoying your night after another good win from the team. Firstly, can I apologise for not sending you any emails until now. It has been one thing after another and I’ve been rushed off my feet after matches but it is something I very much intend to continue throughout the season – win, lose or draw. Obviously, it has been a positive start both in terms of results, but also performances. We’ve had a bit of everything so far from style to flair but also hard work, grit and determination and no praise is high enough for the players at the moment. Their attitude, application, work rate and dedication is fantastic and you, as fans, should be proud of the team you have at present. We won’t always win, I’ve said that to you all before and each and every one of you will, I am sure, understand that. However, to a man, these guys would run through brick walls for the cause and there are fewer pleasing things to see as a manager than a team with that sort of attitude. I would also like to pay tribute to you too. The support and backing we have received since I arrived at the club, but in particularly this season, has been terrific and again today, I head constant noise and support from the stands. I am so pleased you got your rewards and hopefully the journey along the new M74 was a joy. In the same regard, we now have a massive, massive game next Sunday against Rangers. We really need you, our fans, to turn up in as much numbers as you can to encourage the team on. Without wanting to tempt fate, we’ve only lost one competitive match at Fir Park since February and our fans play just as big a part in that as the players do. Encourage everyone you can. Friends, family, colleagues, everyone; we need a loud, noisy and vociferous Motherwell support and hopefully we can continue to build on our good start. All the best, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC'd Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 " Without wanting to tempt fate, we’ve only lost one competitive match at Fir Park since February and our fans play just as big a part in that as the players do" And like always that one competitive defeat was to Rangers.. If there was ever a time for us to finally break this hoodoo.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 If there was ever a time for us to finally break this hoodoo.. I'd be delighted if we did, but I can't see it. Although the Fir Park games are usually tighter affairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StipeIsGod Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 I'll say it again. I love his emails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EightSixteen Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 For those of you that haven't checked your inbox within the last 20mins -Stuart McCall Direct No.18. Good evening 'Well fans, It is disappointing to email you after our first defeat of the season but I don't suppose, realistically and in all honesty, anyone expected that run to last forever. However, it's frustrating though that it has come at the hands of Rangers who have proved a thorn in the side of our club for best (or worst) part of ten years. I said in my programme notes today that we needed three things to click into place if we were going to win against Rangers. We needed them to have an off day – they didn't! We needed to play at the very top of our game – we didn't! And we needed the rub of the green from the match officials and even that didn't happen. Not that I am having a go at Craig Thomson, he actually did very well to spot the handball in the lead up to our "goal". If only there were a few more bodies blocking his line of vision. Rangers too still have a fair bit of talent going forward with Davis, Lafferty, Jelavic and Naismith, all International players, they caused us problems. From our point of view, we didn't threaten nearly enough and sometimes our final ball let us down. The second goal was the killer. That was the one which really changed the complexion of the match. To have success against the Old Firm, as well as the three things I mentioned previously, you really have got to try and score first so you have something to go on. We didn't make McGregor work as much as we should have and that'll be the focus of our training in the coming weeks. What is good is that we have a match almost straight away to get today's result out of our system. We play Clyde in the League Cup this Wednesday and we'll do our very best to make sure we progress into the next round against a team who have started well. We are still second and it has still been an excellent start so it's not all doom and gloom. Clyde this Wednesday then Dunfermline next Saturday; these are the games we will be judged on! Thanks again for your support – it was great to see a 10,000+ crowd inside Fir Park today – I am just sorry we couldn't get the result you wanted. Enjoy what is left of your weekend. All the best, Stuart McCall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StipeIsGod Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 I enjoy these emails. I have had a couple of replies to questions asked by myself. I love his effort with these. The line "We needed them to have an off day" is fucking farcical, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finlay Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 Not at all. You think St Johnstone beat Celtic with all eleven in green and white playing at full pelt? Aye, right. You beat them when YOU are playing at your best and they aren't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Diggle Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 Mibbez he should have a read at one or two of the points made by punters before he cheerily sent this out. Agree with most of it although don't see why we have to accept that we have no chance basically of defeating these c***s. Tell that to Terry Butcher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 The line "We needed them to have an off day" is fucking farcical, however. I agree with that. How about "We need to make them have an off day"? We need to be in about them from kick-off to the final whistle. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brazilian Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 I'd never have put Stuart McCall down as a loser but hey everybody surprises you now and again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
East_Stand_Al Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 Was sent out a bit quick tonight, maybe most of it was in his drafts folder just to to be edited with a couple of points "We needed them to have an off day – they didn’t! We needed to play at the very top of our game – we didn’t! And we needed the rub of the green from the match officials and even that didn’t happen. Not that I am having a go at Craig Thomson, he actually did very well to spot the handball in the lead up to our “goal”. If only there were a few more bodies blocking his line of vision." What the fuck is that all about Craig Thomson was shite today there were a few times he wanted to give corners and his Main stand side assistant flagged for goal kicks and vice versa. The Assistant ref was running back to the middle of the park following our "Goal" which suggests he saw nothing untoward. Guy is an inept at best or a cheating scumbag at worst Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StipeIsGod Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 I agree with that. How about "We need to make them have an off day"? We need to be in about them from kick-off to the final whistle. Indeed. This "hoping that they have a bad day" attitude is hellish. You need to MAKE them have a poor game. They are not the all conquering forces of nature that the TV would have you believe. Incidentally, double negative rating for suggesting that we shouldn't be hoping that they have a bad day as our main port of call... really? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Stall Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 The line "We needed them to have an off day" is fucking farcical, however. Don't agree with you at all mate. At the end of the day, no matter how bad a state they are in, they have still won the league three seasons on the spin, still have umpteen international players, probably the best player in the league in Jelavic, etc etc. Look at us, we have had a blistering start, but we have no real striking options and our squad is threadbare. He's right, to beat them we do need them to have an off day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StipeIsGod Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 Don't agree with you at all mate. At the end of the day, no matter how bad a state they are in, they have still won the league three seasons on the spin, still have umpteen international players, probably the best player in the league in Jelavic, etc etc. Look at us, we have had a blistering start, but we have no real striking options and our squad is threadbare. He's right, to beat them we do need them to have an off day. The (realistic) thought, inside the head, is not a problem, mate. It's more the promotion of the thought publicly. He should be making these fellas feel indestructible, not of a lower quality, with the possibility of beating them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.